Weekly Update: CONCACAF Champions League draw, international break

The San Jose Earthquakes are off this week due to the FIFA International Match Dates on June 7 and 11. The Quakes return to action on Saturday, June 15 with a road match at the Colorado Rapids. The game kicks off at 6 p.m. PT live on Comcast SportsNet California, 1590 KLIV and 1370 KZSF.

The San Jose Earthquakes lost 3-0 on the road to Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium Saturday night. RSL scored three first-half goals to take control of the match and the Earthquakes could not get back in the game in the second half. Real Salt Lake jumped on the board first behind a goal from Javier Morales. Robbie Findley received the ball on the right wing from Morales and broke into the box. After making some space for himself, he hit a low shot that was saved by Quakes goalkeeper Jon Busch. Morales pounced on the rebound and put it into the back of the net for a 1-0 RSL advantage. Ned Grabavoy put RSL up 2-0 with a blast from inside the box 33 minutes into the game. Morales got open on the left wing, and his cross found Grabavoy, who finished into the upper corner. Five minutes later, Findley got a goal of his own. After a Joao Plata cross was cleared directly to Findley, he curled a right-footed shot inside the far post for a 3-0 advantage. The Quakes had a handful of good chances in the second half, but RSL goalkeeper Nick Rimando was up to the task. He stopped a Marvin Chavez drive early in the half, before denying Chris Wondolowski and Steven Lenhart’s close-range efforts.

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

CONCACAF Champions League Draw Tonight

The Earthquakes will learn their opponents for the The Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions League tonight. CONCACAF will hold the draw for the 2013-14 edition of the Champions League tonight, Monday, June 3. The live draw, presided over by CONCACAF President Jeffrey Webb, will be conducted at 5 p.m. PT at the InterContinental at Doral in Miami and will air live on Fox Soccer Channel and Univision Deportes. The event will sort the 24 clubs set to participate in the Champions League into eight groups of three teams. The tournament begins in August and will feature five MLS teams, San Jose Earthquakes, LA Galaxy, Houston Dynamo, Sporting Kansas City and Montreal Impact.

Ballouchy Makes First Two Appearances

Earthquakes midfielder Mehdi Ballouchy made his first two appearances of the year last week. He started and played 90 minutes for San Jose in the third round match of the U.S. Open Cup against the Charleston Battery on May 28. He then came on as a late sub against Real Salt Lake on June 1 to make his first league appearance. Ballouchy had been sidelined all season while recovering from an ACL tear suffered near the end of the 2012 season.

Iron Men

The San Jose Earthquakes currently have two players that have played every minute of all 15 matches this season, Chris Wondolowski and Jon Busch. They have played 1,350 minutes.

Bernardez Suspended

Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez was suspended two matches by the MLS Disciplinary Committee for a play that “endangered the safety of his opponent” in the Quakes match against FC Dallas on May 25. Bernardez missed the match on June 1 at Real Salt Lake and will also sit out the team’s game on June 15 against the Colorado Rapids.

Yallop Aiming for 100th Win with Quakes

Earthquakes head coach Frank Yallop is approaching a major milestone, aiming to become the first head coach in club history to win 100 games. Yallop is 99-86-72 during his nine years with the Earthquakes. He began his career in 2001, leading San Jose to its first MLS Cup. He won the MLS Cup again with San Jose in 2003 before departing to coach the Canadian national team following the 2003 season. Yallop returned to the Earthquakes in 2008, their expansion season. Since his and the team’s return, San Jose has twice qualified for the MLS Cup Playoffs and won the Supporters’ Shield trophy in 2012.

Hernandez Climbs Team’s All-Time Charts

With his start on Saturday against Real Salt Lake, Earthquakes defender Jason Hernandez moved past John Doyle into sixth place all-time in career starts in club history. He also tied Doyle for sixth all-time with 132 appearances.

Busch Two Games from 100

Earthquakes goalkeeper Jon Busch played his 98th career game for San Jose on Saturday against Real Salt Lake. He is second all-time behind Joe Cannon for games played by a goalkeeper with the Quakes.

Bernardez, Chavez Join Honduras

Earthquakes defender Victor Bernardez and midfielder Marvin Chavez have been called up to the Honduran national team ahead of three 2014 World Cup qualifiers this month. Honduras faces Central American rival, Costa Rica in San Jose, Costa Rica on June 7, before hosting Jamaica on June 11 in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. The Hondurans play their fourth match at Rio Tinto Stadium in Sandy, Utah on June 18 against the United States. Bernardez, 30, has a total of 64 career caps with Los Catrachos. He started for Honduras in a 2-2 draw against Mexico on March 22 and played all 90 minutes in the 2-0 loss against Panama on March 26 in the last round of qualifying matches. The 2012 MLS Best XI selection has been a mainstay on the back line for his home country during the qualification process. He started each of Honduras’ six games in group play during the third round of CONCACAF qualifying, scoring a goal in a 3-0 win against Cuba on Sept. 7, 2012. Chavez, 29, has four goals in 30 appearances for his country. He played in two matches during the third round of qualifying and also scored in Los Catrachos’ 3-0 win against Cuba. The speedy winger recently scored his first goal this season for the Earthquakes, a dramatic equalizer against the Colorado Rapids on May 18.

Earthquakes New Stadium Update

The Earthquakes unveiled a number of new features for the club’s stadium that is under construction at Coleman Ave. in San Jose. The team has added Game Day Clubs and has revealed that the seats in the new stadium will be blue. Additionally, the south end of the stadium will spell out ‘Quakes’ in the seats. All of the new features can be viewed in the newly launched interactive 3D seat map at www.sjearthquakes.com. The Earthquakes also announced the arrival of a new stadium mobile viewing center that allows fans to experience the club’s new venue in person. Appointments are available to drop by the mobile viewing center on game days or regular weekday business hours from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. PT by calling club headquarters at 408-556-7700. Additionally, the Earthquakes gave fans a way to keep tabs on the construction process through a live webcam stationed at the construction site. The StreamCam HD will provide live and archived footage to fans at www.sjearthquakes.com and will collect images for a timelapse video of the completed project when the stadium opens, courtesy of EarthCam.

Former defender Momcilo “Gabbo” Gavric and former president Peter Bridgwater have been voted into the Earthquakes Hall of Fame. The pair of soccer legends will be inducted in a ceremony during halftime of San Jose’s match on July 27 against the Portland Timbers. For more information about the duo, click here.

Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge

The club will host its second annual Earthquakes 5K/10K Challenge, benefiting The Health Trust of Silicon Valley and the San Jose Earthquakes Community Fund, on Sunday, Aug. 18. More information and a registration link are available at www.quakeschallenge.com. The 5K/10K Challenge begins at 8 a.m. with three options for runners of all ages. All participants receive a race t-shirt and access to a post-race celebration. The event is co-produced by Threshold Racing and Firstwave Events, the same companies that organize the San Jose Turkey Trot, Santa Cruz Half Marathon, and the San Jose Metro Triathlon.

T-Mobile 4G Power Zone Back for 2013

The Earthquakes have teamed with T-Mobile for the second year in a row to create the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone” at all home games for the 2013 season. The promotion will give fans the opportunity to purchase great seats for only $17 – a discount of $10 off the day-of-game price, the most affordable Earthquakes tickets available to the public. Through the agreement, T-Mobile has rebranded the Corner Flag Section 107 at Buck Shaw Stadium in Santa Clara as the “T-Mobile 4G Power Zone.” For more information, visit www.sjearthquakes.com/tickets.

Quakes President Dave Kaval’s Office Hours

Earthquakes President Dave Kaval’s office hours will continue in 2013. Fans can drop by his office at 451 El Camino Real, Suite 201 in Santa Clara, Calif., on Tuesdays between 3 and 5 p.m. PT. Participants will be seen on a first come, first served basis. Be sure to read his blog, Kaval’s Kickoff, exclusively at www.sjearthquakes.com, and follow him on Twitter at @QuakesPrez.

Season Tickets on Sale/Priority for New Stadium

Season tickets for the 2013 season at Buck Shaw Stadium are still available. By purchasing season tickets for the final season at Buck Shaw Stadium, fans can enter the queue for priority seating for the Earthquakes New Stadium. Season ticket holders are currently selecting their seats for the New Stadium. To purchase season tickets or for more information, please contact the Earthquakes headquarters at 408-556-7700.

Stanford Stadium Tickets Now on Sale

Ticket sales for the Quakes match at Stanford on June 29 against the LA Galaxy, presented by XFINITY, are moving quickly with over 30,000 tickets already sold. Tickets can be purchased by visiting www.sjearthquakes.com or calling 800-225-2277. Groups of 10 or more should call the club’s headquarters at 408-556-7700. Last year’s match drew a capacity crowd of 50,391 for a 4-3 Earthquakes win against the Galaxy.

Wells Fargo Goals for Education

Wells Fargo has again pledged to donate $250 for each goal the Earthquakes score in 2013 through the Goals for Education program. The club has raised $3,250 so far this season thanks to 13 goals. The Earthquakes raised $18,000 in 2012 after scoring a club record 72 goals.